diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/landing.test.ts b/src/tui-opentui/landing.test.ts
index f077c7107..f714b3899 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/landing.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/landing.test.ts
@@ -11,10 +11,13 @@ import {
   appendStreamRow,
   applyLandingSuggestion,
   createAppShell,
+  noticeText,
   paintChrome,
   setPromptWorkspace,
   isLanding,
   paintLanding,
+  streamRowCount,
+  surfaceStartupNotice,
 } from "./shell"
 import { makeOperatorQuestion, openOperatorOverlay } from "./overlays"
 import {
@@ -489,4 +492,53 @@ describe("landing screen", () => {
       }
     }, SIZE)
   })
+
+  test("startup MCP/load errors keep the mountain and ride the notice strip", async () => {
+    // CL-5618 / CL-5600: system notices on load used to appendStreamRow →
+    // clearLandingMark, wiping the brand hero. They must surface as secondary
+    // chrome while geometry still seats MARK_SMALL or larger.
+    await withTestRenderer(async (h) => {
+      const shell = createAppShell(h.renderer, {
+        terminal: { columns: 80, rows: 24 },
+        wireKeys: false,
+        run: "idle",
+      })
+      try {
+        await settle(h)
+        expect(isLanding(shell)).toBe(true)
+        const before = markRows(h)
+        expect([MARK_LARGE, MARK_MID, MARK_SMALL].map((g) => g.rows)).toContain(
+          before.length,
+        )
+
+        const mcpError =
+          "mcp github did not connect (ECONNREFUSED) — its tools are unavailable; /mcp for detail"
+        surfaceStartupNotice(shell, mcpError)
+        await settle(h)
+
+        // The mountain stays; the notice strip carries the wording.
+        expect(isLanding(shell)).toBe(true)
+        expect(streamRowCount(shell)).toBe(0)
+        expect(shell.statusFlash).toBe(mcpError)
+        expect(noticeText(shell)).toContain("mcp github did not connect")
+        const after = markRows(h)
+        expect(after.length).toBe(before.length)
+        expect([MARK_LARGE, MARK_MID, MARK_SMALL].map((g) => g.rows)).toContain(
+          after.length,
+        )
+
+        // A real session row still ends the landing; deferred notices become
+        // durable transcript rows rather than vanishing with the flash.
+        appendStreamRow(shell, { role: "user", text: "first prompt" })
+        await settle(h)
+        expect(isLanding(shell)).toBe(false)
+        expect(markRows(h)).toEqual([])
+        const frame = h.captureCharFrame()
+        expect(frame).toContain("first prompt")
+        expect(frame).toContain("mcp github did not connect")
+      } finally {
+        shell.dispose()
+      }
+    }, SIZE)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/product-host.ts b/src/tui-opentui/product-host.ts
index 7a99ea7c9..376ff255b 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/product-host.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/product-host.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import {
   setPaletteOnCommand,
   setMcpNeedsAuth,
   setStatusFlash,
+  surfaceStartupNotice,
   type AppShell,
   type ItemDescription,
   type OverlaySelection,
@@ -336,12 +337,14 @@ export async function mountProductHost(
       : {}),
   })
 
-  // Announced in the transcript rather than logged: a log line is invisible
-  // behind a full-screen shell, and the operator is the only one who can fix a
-  // terminal setting.
+  // Announced on the notice strip (or transcript once the session has content)
+  // rather than logged: a log line is invisible behind a full-screen shell, and
+  // the operator is the only one who can fix a terminal setting. Using the
+  // startup-notice path keeps the landing mountain painted when this fires
+  // before the first turn (CL-5618).
   const widthReport = checkWidthContract(renderer.widthMethod)
   if (!widthReport.agrees) {
-    appendStreamRow(shell, { role: "system", text: widthContractNotice(widthReport) })
+    surfaceStartupNotice(shell, widthContractNotice(widthReport))
   }
 
   const port = createLiveSessionPort({
@@ -457,7 +460,10 @@ export async function mountProductHost(
   function show(notice: RuntimeNotice | null): void {
     if (notice === null) return
     if (notice.kind === "row") {
-      appendStreamRow(shell, { role: "system", text: notice.text })
+      // MCP load failures and hook failures must not wipe the landing mark.
+      // surfaceStartupNotice keeps the mountain while the notice strip carries
+      // the wording, then flushes a durable row once the session starts.
+      surfaceStartupNotice(shell, notice.text)
       return
     }
     setStatusFlash(shell, notice.text, { ttlMs: RUNTIME_FLASH_MS })
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts b/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts
index 676a79814..bb7875e4a 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts
@@ -1797,6 +1797,13 @@ type ShellInternals = {
    * rather than a screen the first prompt wipes.
    */
   landingNotice: string | null
+  /**
+   * System/runtime notices that arrived while the landing was still up (MCP
+   * load failures, width-contract warnings, hook failures). Held here and
+   * painted on the notice strip so they never call `clearLandingMark`; flushed
+   * into the transcript when the first real session row ends the landing.
+   */
+  landingDeferredRows: StreamRow[]
   /** What the rows below the box are painting, so they can be repainted. */
   landingBelow: LandingBelowContent | null
   /** Starters are offered only while the prompt is empty. */
@@ -2031,6 +2038,28 @@ function evictedRowsNotice(evicted: number): string {
   return ` … ${evicted} earlier row${evicted === 1 ? "" : "s"} dropped (past the retention limit)`
 }
 
+/**
+ * Surface a runtime/load notice without stealing the landing hero.
+ *
+ * MCP connection failures, hook failures and similar startup chatter used to
+ * call `appendStreamRow` → `clearLandingMark`, wiping the mountain the moment
+ * anything went wrong on load (CL-5618 / CL-5600). While the landing is still
+ * mounted the wording rides the notice strip and the row is held for flush
+ * once a real session row ends the landing; after that it is a normal system
+ * row.
+ */
+export function surfaceStartupNotice(shell: AppShell, text: string): void {
+  if (isLanding(shell)) {
+    const bag = internals.get(shell)
+    if (bag !== undefined) {
+      bag.landingDeferredRows.push({ role: "system", text })
+    }
+    setStatusFlash(shell, text)
+    return
+  }
+  appendStreamRow(shell, { role: "system", text })
+}
+
 /**
  * Paint + push onto the visible streamLog (child while observing, parent
  * otherwise). The paint tree stays 1:1 with the (retention-capped) log —
@@ -2356,6 +2385,10 @@ export function repaintTranscriptWindow(shell: AppShell): void {
  * The prompt box travels from the middle of the screen to the bottom, which is
  * a jump; it happens on the same frame as the operator's own first row so it
  * reads as the screen answering them rather than as the layout twitching.
+ *
+ * System/runtime notices deferred while the hero was up are flushed into the
+ * transcript here so they stay durable once the session has content, without
+ * ever having stolen the mountain on the way in.
  */
 function clearLandingMark(shell: AppShell): void {
   const bag = internals.get(shell)
@@ -2373,6 +2406,15 @@ function clearLandingMark(shell: AppShell): void {
     bag.landingNotice = null
     appendStreamRow(shell, { role: "system", text: notice })
   }
+
+  const deferred = bag.landingDeferredRows
+  if (deferred.length > 0) {
+    bag.landingDeferredRows = []
+    // The notice strip held the latest wording while the mark was up; the
+    // rows themselves are durable now, so drop the flash rather than double-paint.
+    setStatusFlash(shell, null)
+    for (const row of deferred) appendStreamRow(shell, row)
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -5599,6 +5641,7 @@ export function createAppShell(
     paletteFilter: null,
     landing: { above: landingAbove, below: landingBelow },
     landingNotice: options?.telemetryNotice ?? null,
+    landingDeferredRows: [],
     landingBelow: landingBelowState,
     landingSuggestionsVisible: true,
     landingAnimating: false,